Distklbtjtob



J. F. ARMATHES.

DlSTHIBUTOR. APPUCATION FILED MAR. I1. \921 1,403, 27, Patented Jan. 17,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 lNl/ENTUR Jose ph Ff rmaihes,

A TTORN E Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JQSEPH F. ABMATHES, OF PLYMOUTH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN H. GOLDSTEIIN, OF PLYMOUTH, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISTRIBUTOR Specification of Letters IPatent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application filed March 17, 1921. Serial No. 452,945.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH FRANK An- MATHES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plymouth, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Distributors, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates enerally to automobile ignition systems an more particularly to an ignition device or distributor for Ford automobiles, which will avoid the use of individual vibrators in the high tension connections and will permit of the use of'a single vibrating "coil so'that the disadvantages due to lag in the usual individual vibrators will be avoided.

In carrying out my invention the primary object isthe provision of a frictionless dis tributor which will ,be lasting, strong and durable, which may be readily and economically constructed, assembled, in which the parts are capable of ready repair and substitution, and in which adjustment is readily provided for-inusev These and other objects as well as the resulting advantages of my invention will be readily understood from the following description, in the light of theaccompanying drawings forming a part of-this specification and in which,

Figure -1 is a front elevation of a Ford motor illustrating the practical application of my invention, l v

Figure 2 is a diagram of the' electrical connections,

Figure 3 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section through my improved device in effective position,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the casing of my improved device looking toward its inner open side,

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the clamping ring,

Figure 6 is a topplan view of the upper portion of the casing,

Figure 7 is a transverse section through the rotor and the timer shaft in a plane ex tending through the detachable clutch member connecting these parts,

Figure 8 is an end view looking at the outer end of the rotor,

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail section several distributin through a portion of the rotor in the plane of one of its segmental contact pieces,

Figure 10 is a detail section through the engaging portions of one of the high tension leads and the contact point of the distributor casing with which it detachably engages,

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic plan view of the surface of the rotor,

Figure 12 is a detail front view of the bracket supporting the high tension leads, an

Figure 13 is a detail section through this bracket taken substantially on line 13-13 of Fi re 1.

Re erring now to these figures and particularly to Figure 2, the secondary or coil lead 15 of the present system extends from the secondary winding of a single vibrating or sparkcoil 11 to the distributor head indicated at 12, from which high tension current is distributed at proper intervals to the leads 13, 14, 16 and 17. The primary winding of coil 11 has a ground wire 18 and a connection 19 with a switch 20 by means of which the coil may be placed in circuit with either a grounded battery 21 or a grounded magneto 22,

Accordin to my invention the distributor head 12, which is preferablyformed integral with the distributor casing 23, extends above said casing and is externally cylindrical in form adapting it to the reception of a clamping band 24 seen in detail in Figure 5 having one upstanding bent and apertured end 25 to receivethe timer control'rod a part of which is indicated at 26 in Figure 1, whereby the casing of the distributor may be shifted upon its longitudinal axis. 0

The casing 23 has an axial depress1on 27 in its closed outer or forward end to receive the free end 28 of a supporting arm 29 pivotally attached at its opposite end as at 30 to a part of the motor, and the opposite or mner rear side of the casing 23 is open and formed to seat within the annular flange 31 of the front of the timing gear housing 32, which flange is in spaced concentric relation to the forwardly projecting end of the timer shaft 38.

In the ordinary construction the forward end of the timer shaft is threaded as shown in Figure 3 to receive the usual rotor, wh le the rotor in accordance with my present invent-ion consists of a cylindrical shell 34 of non-conducting material securely fastened upon a cylindrical metal core or bushing 35 having a lengthwise groove 36 in its outer face within the shell 34. This groove supports a spring 37 which engages a clutch ball 38, the latter projecting partially through an inner opening of the core or bushing so as tos'eat, uhder the influence of spring 37, in a cavity 39 drilled within the projecting end of the timer shaft 33.

Thus in placing the invention upon the ordinary 0rd automobile it is simply necessary to discard the nut usually threaded on the timer shaft and drill a shallow opening in order that the rotor of mylpresent invention may he slipped on to the shaft and into the clutched position best shown in Figure 3 where it is held in readily detachable relation and in such manner as to rotate at all times with-the timer shaft particularly in view of the fact that the peripheral surface of the rotor isslightly-s. aced from the inner cylindrical surface of t e distributor casing 23, the distance between these parts being sufliciently slight to'permit the spark to readily jump thegap.

p In the periphery ofthe rotor are a series ofse ental contact pieces 40, disposed in len and circumferentiallyspaced relatlon, and each ,of a length sufficient to bridge the inner lengthwise contact bar 41 of the distributor casing 23 the inner end ofthe respective contact pin 42, of which there are a series in the distributor ca'slng spaced lengthwise to accord with the spacing of the several segmental contact :pieces 40 of the rotor.

In Figure 9 it will be vniited that each of the se ental contact ieces 40 of the rotor is in t e nature of a wire with bent ends 43, the wire and its said ends being embedded in the surface of the shell 34 of the rotor.

The distributor head '12 has a plurality of upwardly opening bores 44 as seen in Figure 6 to receive the several distributing leads 13, 1d, 16 and 17 and the lead 15 from the coil 11-, and in the lower end of each of these bores 44, the upper end of each of the contact pins 42 as well as a pin leading from the contact bar 41, has a soCketAfi, one of which is shown in Fi ure 10, with inturned edges 46 to engage t e annularly grooved head 47 of the respective 'wire or Bad, so

' that these several wires or leads will thus be effectively though detachably held in the distributor head, the current flowing into the distributor through the coil lead 15 to the contact bar 41. As eachof the segmental contact pieces 40 passes the contact bar 41 in the rotation of the rotor, and moves adjacent to its respective contact pin 42, current passes from the bar to the segmental contact and from the latter to the contact pin from which it flows through the respective distributing leads 13, 14 16 and 11 to the respective cylinder spark plug.

As seen in Figures 1, 12 and 13 the coil lead 15 as well as the several distributing leads 13, 14, 16 and 17 may be extended through a clamp :48 preferably formed of non-conducting material and supported by a bracket 49 in turn connected to the 'motor, so as to avoid abrasive contact of the several leads with one another and avoid possible short circuitin In view of t e fact that the rotor moves in spaced relation to the inner surface of the distributor casing 23, it is quite obvious that the sup'portingmeans shown and described for holding the [rotor in readily detachable relation upon the timer shaft 33 will sufiice for all purposes of support and wallet the same time permit of ready quick installation in lieu of the usual distributor as well as readyremoval in case repair or substitution shouldbe equir d on account of accidental breakage. It is 'fiiitl'leiinore obviou's'that in view of this spaced rotation there is ractically nowear and except for breakage the parts will last indefinitely.

The distributor proposed by my invention will thus be effective in operation, durable and lasting in use, is of simple inexpensive construction, and provides for ready advancing and retarding of the spark as may be desired.

I claim:

1. A distributorincluding a casing open at one side and having supports at its opposite sides with respect to which it is rotatable, a timer shaft projecting axially into the open side of the casing, a rotor detachably mounted on the shaft and having an external non-conducting surface rotating in spaced relation to the inner surface of the casing and provided with a plurality of segmental contact pieces, .a contact bar within the easing extending along the rotor, a plurality of contact pins in the casing alined with the contact pieces of the rotor and spaced from the contact bar, said contact pieces of the rotor being greater in length than the spaces between the contact bar and contact pins of the casing as described.

2. In a distributor, the combination with a timer shaft, of a detachable rotor having spring controlled means arranged to disengageably clutch the shaft and normally support the rotor in connection therewith.

3. In a distributor, the combination with a timer shaft, of a casing rotatably mounted around the timer shaft and having contact members, and a rotor having contact 'members movable within the casing in non-contacting relation thereto, said timer shaft having a recess, and said rotor having spring controlled means shiftable into and 'out of the recess of the shaft and normally acting spaced from the casing having a series of to support the same on the shaft as delengthwise and circumferentially spaced scribed. contact segments alined with the several con- 10 4. A distributor including a casing having tact points of the casing and each of a length 5 an internal lengthwise contact bar and a greater than the space between its respective lengthwise series of coptact pins each spaced contact pin andthe said contact bar. from the said bar, and a rotor within and JOSEPH F. ARMATHES. 

